The Cowboys are getting Tyler Smith back at exactly the moment the Buccaneers are trying to patch together a lineup that already looks thinner than it did a week ago.
Dallas officially activated Smith from injured reserve for the game against Tampa Bay, and hours before kickoff the Cowboys announced the All-Pro guard would play. Smith had missed the first four games of the season after a thumb injury in training camp required surgery, but he practiced all week after coming off IR and was a full participant in the team’s mock game, according to Jerry Jones.
That return matters because Smith is not just another body on the interior line. In 2025, he allowed only three sacks in more than 1,100 snaps, which is the kind of stability Dallas has been waiting to restore up front.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, entered the game with four players ruled out: Antoine Winfield Jr. (rib), Baker Mayfield (right thumb), Benjamin Morrison (quad), and SirVocea Dennis (ankle/foot). Tampa Bay also submitted its inactives at 6:45 p.m. ET, 90 minutes before kickoff, and the list included another set of moving parts on both sides of the ball.
Rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. is set to return after missing time with shoulder and groin injuries, and tight end Ko Kieft is also back after sitting out a game with an elbow injury. But the broader picture for Tampa Bay is still defined by the same issue that has followed it into Week 5: the offensive line that was supposed to be a strength has become a problem other teams are targeting.
That line has been described as a weak point the Buccaneers have found other teams exploiting, and the matchup with Dallas comes with that pressure already hanging over the game. Tampa Bay’s offense is trying to find some version of redemption, while the Cowboys arrive with a key blocker restored and a 2-2 record that leaves little margin for another uneven night.
Dallas is also dealing with its own absences. Cornerback Cobie Durant is out with a hamstring injury, and the Cowboys will also be without linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and tackle Drew Shelton. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is dealing with an illness and will not suit up for Tampa Bay.
So the game is not just a simple case of one team being healthier than the other. Dallas gets Smith back, Tampa Bay gets a few returns but also carries a longer injury list, and the line play on both sides is part of the story before the first snap.